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Minimalism was one of the important tendencies and genres of Western modern art in the 60s of the 20th century. Japan's "Muji" has keenly captured this message very early on, conformed to the trend of the times, and practiced the concept of minimalism in brand identity, product design, advertising performance, etc., not only highlighting the social value of its brand, but also winning a competitive advantage for itself, and is undoubtedly one of the most representative minimalist brands today.
A simple and crisp brand logo
In the 80s of the 20th century, in order to combat the flood of brands in the market, Seiji Tsutsumi, then president of Seiyu Co., Ltd., suggested adopting a no-brand strategy and opened a counter of "Muji" in Seiyu Supermarket.
MUJI's brand logo is a quintessential minimalist style. First of all, its brand logo is tiled with dark red as the base, and the font does not use fancy changes such as gradients and overlays, with "muji" on the top and "Muji" on the bottom, aligned and centered display, a simple and plain font is more acceptable to the public. Secondly, MUJI prefers to use monochrome and natural colors in the logo color, and does not use complicated and gorgeous color combinations, which is simple and eye-catching. In addition, outside the main logo, there is a large area of blank space, and there are no other decorative features of the logo, and then the concept of "empty" is presented, which has a very modern tension. According to the "AIDMA Rule", concise visual symbols are easier to remember, generate interest, and then lead to consumer behavior.
In today's society, all kinds of information push are overwhelming and complex, and people are more inclined to pursue a simple and transparent sensory experience in a fast-paced life. MUJI's concise brand logo caters to this psychological need, and through the minimalist "white space", it reserves a deeper imagination and attraction for consumers, and induces consumers' purchase behavior.
Simplify product design
MUJI has long established a minimalist design style, pursuing the functionalist design principle of "restoring the essence", pursuing simple form and focusing on function. The function of its products is simple and simple, and the design of the product pays attention to "form follows function", to simplify the complex, to oppose redundant decoration, and even to reduce the brand logo and packaging. In the production process, components and processes that do not affect the function are also removed as much as possible, and only the materials and functions themselves are retained. In 1983, when MUJI introduced a simple and practical bicycle to the market, during the development process, they disassembled the bicycle on the market and found that components such as lights, fenders, baskets, etc., were not necessary, but would increase the cost. The car has been very popular since its introduction, and annual sales have been above 80,000 units.
MUJI's minimalist design advocates a minimalist lifestyle. Because there are not too many fancy styles in the shape of its products, it can meet the basic requirements of life in terms of function, so that consumers have a sense of identity and satisfaction of "right, so good". Plain and easy to use, coupled with quality assurance, MUJI has become the best choice for minimalist lifestyles.
Natural and simple material selection
MUJI has always pursued the concept of advocating natural and simple green ecology, and strives to be natural and environmentally friendly in the selection of materials, which are mainly based on natural and original ecological "materials". MUJI's products are made from raw materials such as rattan, bamboo, cotton, and wood with natural textures, and only the necessary production and processing of the materials is carried out to preserve the natural beauty of the materials themselves, while PVC, Teferon, sorbic acid, and other synthetic materials that are harmful to health and pollute the environment are expressly prohibited from being used. As an advocate of the concept of green environmental protection, MUJI considers the usability of materials in the design, regularly refurbishes its products, decomposes and reuses the surplus products, and integrates them into new products and puts them back on the shelves. MUJI's natural and simple material selection and circular production system reduce resource waste and environmental pollution, and also convey a healthy and environmentally friendly ecological concept to consumers, reflecting the company's sense of responsibility for the environment and society.
Extremely simplified zero-degree packaging
Nowadays, because the packaging function of the product has already broken through the traditional sense of protecting the product and facilitating transportation, the packaging reflects more of the beautification, publicity and role of the product. In the context of the proliferation of excessive packaging in the market, MUJI has gone the opposite way and pursued zero-degree packaging in packaging design, that is, to simplify the design as much as possible on the premise of realizing the basic functions of packaging, and the packaging materials meet the requirements of pollution-free and recyclable. The paper used on MUJI's product packaging is generally not bleached, which not only retains the original color of the paper, but also saves the cost of bleaching and reduces environmental pollution. If it is not necessary, the sales packaging of MUJI products tends to use transparent packaging and exposed packaging, and the content of the product is directly displayed to consumers, so that consumers can feel close to the product. The transportation packaging is flat-packed, which not only saves space but also reduces the damage and difference of goods. Most importantly, these practices of MUJI have greatly reduced packaging costs, reduced the cost of goods, and reduced the burden on consumers, so they are welcomed and admired by those who are careful about the "new frugality".
Streamlined management style
The minimalist style is not only reflected in Muji's products, advertising, packaging, etc., but also in many simple and efficient management details. For example, MUJI stipulates that no more than three people can approve various documents and no more than three seals, which effectively avoids the long and protracted process of multiple approval levels and improves management efficiency. For another example, the proposal report requires conciseness and clarity, which can only be an A4 piece of paper, which effectively eliminates flashy and long-winded arguments and goes straight to the essence of the work. Also, daily meetings are held standing as much as possible, concise, and time-controlled, so MUJI's meetings are concise and efficient.
MUJI has developed a series of procedures and specifications, mainly "mujigram" for stores and "business specifications" for headquarters, relying on these two guidelines, both for store operations and business management for the headquarters, to ensure that different stores maintain the same level of operation. For example, MUJI has established a manual of criteria for opening a store, which sets items and ratings, and divides them into five levels, and if the score is less than 77 points, you will never be allowed to open a store. This evaluation criterion makes store site selection, which used to rely on personal subjective judgment, more objective, simpler, faster and more efficient. MUJI also has a work schedule that specifies what each employee can do at each time. Therefore, in the MUJI store, every employee is working in an orderly manner, and it is rare to see employees who are idle.
In a nutshell, MUJI's clever use of minimalism in its brand identity, product design, advertising packaging, and even daily management has led us to label it as "plain", "elegant", "eco-friendly", and so on. Minimalism has made MUJI a "big name", and MUJI has become a symbolic symbol that leads minimalist consumption and lifestyle around the world.
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